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I'm running some practice sessions in Cambodia - not game to call them lessons, given my experience with the art yet - but I'm thinking for the first time about practice session format.

In one session, do you prefer to train a group of techniques from the same attack, or do you prefer to train a single hold/throw from a group of attacks? I've practiced with both schedules, and plenty of sessions with no apparent unified theme at all - what are you favourite lesson formats?

- For beginers, it is often better to work on a single lock from multiple slightly differeing (and often escalating) situations.

- For mid-level, it might be fun to show how many different solutions exist for the same attack, possibly consider the relevant timing etc.
- For slightly advanced, you can do the same as above, or cover a wide spectrum: go over situations and try a different technque for each, possibly even try in each sitution the techniques which do not apear natural at that situation without forcing and with only minimal cooperation (I led such a practice once, it was interesting).

- For advanced, anything goes, from including multiple sessions on one point in a single technique variation, or any type of grouping, adapting to the situation ...

We also practice multiple attacks here In our Dojo, as for beginner yudanshan's we let them wear full body armor (the one were using in Kali competitions) the ten attacker are all kali experts instructors level.

kindly, consider my English as you can see im a filipino and English is not my first language my apologies, i hope this will contribute in our learning in martial Arts.

just be ready or the feeling of you have nothing to lose and most importantly the attackers is the one's taking up all the beating so make sure you have full control of the situations. b`coz you`ll end up alone in the Dojo.

I try to do the same attack and blend to get a lot of practice in both, such as Yokomenuchi Omote blend and do all the techniques off the omote blend. I also try to organize the techniques according to the general movements. Sometimes you can't always do that tho.Generally it is not to hard to do that because I will only show about 3 or 4 techniques during a 1 1/2 hour class.

I try to do the same attack and blend to get a lot of practice in both

I agree with this, as I find w/ newbies and really junior students the opening movements are often given short shrift in the rush to get to "the technique".
Then they can see how that one opening leads to various options.

A friend of mine usually stays with the same tai sabaki throughout a class and varies the techniques, OR sticks with a single technique from every attack. He sometimes closes a class with an exercise from Yoseikan called "shita randori" (sp?). He will put a student in the middle of the mat and he will require the student to do any technique from a single attack without repeating, or require a single technique from any attack. Both are fun and a great way to finish a class.

I'm running some practice sessions in Cambodia - not game to call them lessons, given my experience with the art yet - but I'm thinking for the first time about practice session format.

In one session, do you prefer to train a group of techniques from the same attack, or do you prefer to train a single hold/throw from a group of attacks? I've practiced with both schedules, and plenty of sessions with no apparent unified theme at all - what are you favourite lesson formats?

That's awesome! I was able to spend some time there (very brief) and fell in love with the place. Out of curiosity, what part of the country?

I personally like both basic formats you described. It's depended on what I've wanted to focus on as to which I liked better I guess. If I was forced to pick I suppose I generally prefer to see how the same technique/movement applies to different attacks. For me this has seemed to really illustrate the nature of the technique itself. On the other hand I also really like seeing different ways of responding to common attacks. Both seem pretty important to use.
Hmmm...
I'd go with both.
p.s. what they said ^

Great replies everyone, they've been really useful. At first I thought it'd be easier for beginners to take in lessons if I focussed on one technique each session and came at it from different attacks as suggested above. However I really like the point raised that practicing multiple techniques from the same attack develops flexibility and an awareness of the range of movements that can be done. While this is potentially more confusing to students at least at first, there's something about the freedom of movement in it that seems very important to Aikido - so I think we'll be trying that from now on. Thanks for all the input!

We do both in our dojo. Sometimes everything is based off of one attack. Other times we stick to the same technique from various attacks. Yet still, sometimes he finds this flow that allows one to start with one technique and it somehow helps you understand the flow of another technique.

~Look into the eyes of your opponent & steal his spirit.
~To be a good martial artist is to be good thief; if you want my knowledge, you must take it from me.